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Purpose

Online Appointment Booking facilitates patient self-booking.

Where a single practice has multiple Locations, the patients can book for the Location that best suits them.

Patients self-book in these situations:

Features

Patients can book by practice Location, from a booking page set up for that location

A dental business with a single server and multiple practice locations can create a separate online booking website for each configured Location.

Each online booking site / Location is configured with its own address, phone number and description, but the practice Email address is the same across all Locations.

Within patient communications EXACT is able to generate patient recall URLs, planned Online Booking links and Marketing URLs for these specific Locations.

The patient's preferred location has been added as a new merge field, enabling sites with multiple locations to auto-generate patient recalls per Location.

These merge fields can be used in Email, SMS and EasyPost Letters, but they are only available if Locations is enabled for the practice and in the web setup.

Booking Reasons

When creating an online appointment both New and Existing patients may be required to select a Booking Reason:

Multiple online booking reasons per campaign

Historically, patients who responded to a marketing campaign were constrained to the single booking reason associated with that campaign.

From v12.9 your practice can configure multiple online booking reasons per campaign, with one booking reason associated to each campaign service.

Booking Reasons provide functionality to patient bookings

• Booking Reasons apply to Providers, each of whom has custom services and appointment parameters. This enables very flexible options for the practice. Patients can go to the booking site, select a Reason, select from available Providers associated with that Reason, and then book an appointment for just that Provider / Reason.
• Besides the improved booking functionality, this also enhances the accuracy of bookings. For example, where patients previously booked a generic EXAM for 10 minutes, they can now book a specific Implant Consultation (IMPCONS) for 45 minutes, with the best implant Dentist in the practice, to the benefit of both patient and practice.

Match Booking Reasons to Provider

Historically the EXACT online booking system had two primary setup areas: Providers and Booking Reasons. These were treated separately, with no cross-matching of providers to reasons - there was no way to book Provider B for Reason 5.

From EXACT v12.3 onwards the configuration is more flexible, which increases patient use and reliance on the online booking system, expands the use of online booking to more patients as the reasons are more refined and better meet patient needs. This increases the likelihood that patients will pay online for treatment prices and deposits.

By associating Reasons with Providers, your practice can constrain online bookings to the most suitable Providers and times, with no booking misfits.

Online payments

Functionality includes a third party online payment infrastructure:

EXACT automatically generates email payment receipts based on a customisable template: .OLB_RECEIPT_EMAIL

Configurable Policies

It is possible to customise the online booking text information for Cancellation Policy and Complaints Procedure. 

Integration with practice processes

Online booking integrates and communicates with EXACT’s recall system, appointment book, provider schedule and treatment planning. For example:

• The web page to which the patient is directed for planned treatment booking is pre-populated with the planned treatment booking details as displayed in the Appointment Workflow.
• When a patient books an appointment online, the software reserves it in the Practice appointment book in real time.
• Planned treatment online bookings are initiated from a button on the Appointment Workflow, which is a mini console for managing patient departures from the practice:

• The Practice can specify available times and quickly customise them when needed, to meet changing Provider schedules.
• A practice can opt to configure different Providers for online recalls and planned treatment online bookings (they don't have to be the same). For example:

  

• Receptionists monitor all three types of online bookings in the Online Appointments tab below the Appointment book:

  

• All Email or SMS communications with the patient are logged in the Patient Contacts Tab, where a receptionist can easily check whether the communication was sent:

  

Icons differentiate different kinds of online bookings

Practice corporate appearance and branding

• For existing patients, the software automatically sends recall messages via email or text with a link prompting the patient to access a Practice-branded online booking facility.
• The patient-facing website is modern and user-friendly.
• Communications to patients can also be branded with the Practice logo, and can include further information such as contact details, directions, map or parking information, special offers, or dental news.

Benefits

Practice automation

All three categories of online bookings (new patients, recalls and planned treatment) are primarily automated, removing much of the administrative burden from Practice personnel.

Practice integration

Receptionist action is seamless within the EXACT software; they do no work outside of the appointment screen.

Practice appearance

The use of cellular phone and Internet reflects well on the Practice as it indicates a modern practice using current technology and the latest medical techniques.

Immediacy of patient actions

The online booking procedure is consistent with other Internet procedures so not only do patients experience it as normal, but they are also accustomed to respond quickly.

Patient convenience

With minimal effort, patients can book appointments 24/7 regardless of the Practice business hours or load on the Practice phone lines. They also appreciate having the opportunity to consult with family members and employers before committing to the most appropriate booking.

Patient empowerment

Patients feel empowered to make decisions in their own time, on their own terms, without the inherent pressure of a discussion.

Improved marketing and business success

Because the call to action is immediate, convenient and empowers patients,

• The dental practice retains patients who would otherwise make no decision on planned treatment and/or neglect to call back.
• The percentage Recalls improves and fewer patients slip away.
• Marketing efforts for new patients have a higher hit-rate. Email or SMS targetted-contact campaigns are particularly successful. The online module can be used to successfully increase patient uptake of new treatments, and further information such as special offers can be added to the communications.

Requirements

You'll need the following prerequisites and configuration requirements for functional online bookings:

Hardware and software prerequisites

• The Practice needs a constant, reliable Internet connection to allow real time communication between the bookings website and EXACT.
• The Practice needs functional Email software.
• The Practice must have a valid and unique Practice ID, so that it can be identified in Online Recalls.
• EXACT version 10.16 or later for new patient and recall patients, and version 11.3 SP3 or later for the planned treatment patients.
• Contact Software of Excellence to purchase the Online Appointments module, and for help configuring the bookings website.
• The EXDOC^e (email) module must be registered in EXACT.

Requirements for multiple Locations per practice

• EXACT v12.8 or later.
• The practice is configured for Online Booking, with booking functionality.
• The practice is configured for multiple Locations.
• Recommended:
  • Patents are configured for a Preferred Location (in the Patient File Details tab).

    NOTE: If not specified, EXACT will assume the practice default Location as the patient's Preferred Location.

  • Providers are configured for a Preferred Location (in the Provider File).

    NOTE: If not specified, EXACT will assume the practice default Location as the Provider's Preferred Location.

Full matching of Booking Reasons and Providers

This is where the practice selectively associates the best Providers to each Booking Reason. When Patients select a Reason for the online booking they see a select subset of Providers, and when they select a Provider they see just the available appointment slots for that Provider.

Configuration requirements for online recalls and bookings

• The Online Appointments module must be registered in EXACT.
• Email and/or SMS templates must be configured for confirming the bookings. This includes
  • Welcome/Confirmation Email - Email sent to Patients when they successfully book online. You can opt to have a separate template for welcoming new patients and confirming their booking.
  • Welcome/Confirmation SMS - SMS message sent when a booking is made. You can opt to have a separate template for welcoming new patients and confirming their booking.
  • Recall Email - This template must contain the [recall.url] merge field, so that when sent out to patients, the required link to the online booking website is in the text of the message for the patient to click on or copy into their browser.
  • Recall SMS - This template must contain the [recall.url] merge field, so that when sent out to patients, the required link to the online booking website is in the text of the message for the patient to click on or copy into their browser.
  • Sending Email - When Emailed to planned treatment patients, the required link to the online booking website is in the text of the message for the patient to click on or copy into their browser.
  • Sending SMS - When SMSed to planned treatment patients, the required link to the online booking website is in the text of the message for the patient to click on or copy into their browser.
• Recall parameters must be configured with the appropriate services for the types of appointments booked.
• For the providers who are to have online bookings, the appointment book(s) must be correctly configured, with blocks set up for the providers so that available time can be identified (online bookings cannot be made without this configuration)
• Online Recalls must be configured from the Recalls Parameters screen.
• (Technical) The site needs to have the SOE Database server, Framework service and the SOE Transport service running on the main server.

Configuration requirements for planned treatment online booking

Requirements for Planned Treatment Online Booking:

• EXACT version 11.3 SP3 or later.
• The Online Bookings Recall Module must be registered for the dental practice.

  

  When a practice upgrades to EXACT v11.3 SP3 any Providers who are already configured for Online Recalls will be automatically configured for Planned Treatment online bookings.
  However, a practice can opt to differentiate Providers for online recalls and planned treatment online bookings.

• Providers must be configured appropriately for planned treatment online bookings. Only the patients of these Providers will be able to book their planned treatment online (the option is not available in the Appointment Workflow for other patients).
• The practice must have Appointment Workflow configured because a Planned Treatment Online Booking link can only be sent from its Departure Task List at the point of Patient checkout. There is no other way to send it.
• Email and SMS templates must be set, and they must contain the following merge field: [patient.planned.url].
• Patient requirements:
  • A Patient requires an Appointment for Today’s Date.
  • The Patient requires a Treatment Plan on the Chart Tab, and a minimum of one appointment Planned, with time specified for the Service.

  

  • Only Patient planned appointments on the Chart Tab that are marked as To Be Booked will show in the Departure Task List, so Providers must know to tick this checkbox. They also need to ensure that the Appointment has an Expected Time (duration):

  

  • If there is more than one appointment marked as To Be Booked in the Treatment Plan, only the first appointment will show the Planned Treatment hyperlink button.
  • If the first appointment in a series is booked manually, the Planned Treatment URL hyperlink button will move to the next appointment to be booked in the Departure Task List.